Tank for the production of undersea photographic effects.



F. D. WILLIAMS.

TANK FOR THE PRODUCTION OF UNDERSEA PHOTOGRAPHlC EFFECTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. l9l7 Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

M/w/wto c X w M 6 ,U o o o o L 2 7 NW .9 x L w 4 FRANK DOUGLASS WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TANK FOR THE PRODUCTION OF UNDER-SEA PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Application filed November 8,191.7.Seria1N0. 200.2 92.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK D. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tanks for the Production of Undersea Photographic Effects, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tank for producing photographic efiects under water.-

One object of the invention is to produce a tank which will be sufliciently large to enable the desired efiects to be produced,

- but which at the same time will be constructed in such a manner as to be safe from danger of breakage.

A further object of the invention is to produce a tank of the character described equipped with scenery which may be either stationary or movable.

With these and other ends in View which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,-

Figure l is a. side elevation of a tank constructed in accordance with the inven tion. I iii Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a tank arranged for movable scenery, only a portion of the tank being shown.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view illustrating a modification.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a further modification.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

A tank of the character described, in order to be useful for the purpose of making films or other pictures producing an undersea efiect, must be of large dimensions. t such a ta l; ere cas ra as h fore hasbeen done, with side walls made wholly of glass, there has been great danger of breakage due to the weight of the water contained in the tank and the pulsations in said water caused by the presence of moving objects therein.

By the present invention a tank is provided having a solid back wall 15, side walls 16 each of which is provided with a plurality of tiers of windows 17, a front wall 18, having a relatively large glass window 'formed of a single pane 19 intermediate the top, bottom and sides of said front wall, it being not found necessary to make the entire front wall of a single glass. Scenery indicated at 20 may be painted or otherwise produced on the back wall. It is also obvious that stationary objects such as rocks, corals, seaweed and the like may be arranged within the tank to produce the desired effects. A camera indicated at C may be readily focused through the window 19 so as to take in the entire area of the back wall, enabling persons or animals to be photographed while moving about in front of the back wall, light in ample quantities being admitted through the windows in the side walls. Some of said windlows may moreover be obscured if desired for the production of special effects, and for similar reasons artificial light may be admitted through some of the windows.

Instead of the stationary scenery painted on the back wall or background as seen in Fig. 2, movable scenery may be employed, and to this end the tank may be provided adjacent to the back wall. with lateral extensions indicated at 21 in Figs, 4 and 5. In said extensions two vertical rollers 22 may be supported over which an endless curtain 23 having scenery painted thereon may be trained as seen in Fig. 4. By the modification shown in Fig. 5 the curtain here designated by 24 may be terminally connected with both rollers and may be transferred from one roller to the other roller by rotating one of said rollers to wind the curtain thereon, the curtain being subsequently restored to the other roller.

By the use of a tank constructed as herein described the desired undersea efiects may be obtained in a safe and convenient manner, and a tank may be readily built in sections to facilitate transportation thereof from place to place, such building in sections being readily effected by the exercise of proper mechanical skill.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A tank for the production of photographic undersea effects, said tank having a solid back wall, side walls provided with windows, and a front wall provided with a single window disposed intermediate the top, bottom, and said edges thereof.

2. A tank for the production of photo graphic undersea effects, said tank having a solid back wall, side walls provided with windows, and a front wall provided with a single window disposed intermediate the top, bottom and side edges thereof, said tank being equipped with scenery visible through the window in the front wall.

3; A tank for the production of undersea photographic effects, said tank being equipped with vertically disposed rollers and with a curtain movably supported by said rollers.

4. A tank for the production of undersea photographic effects, said tank having lateral extensions, vertically disposed rollers in said extensions, and a curtain movably supported by said rollers.

5. A tank for the production of undersea photographic eflects, said tank having side Walls each provided with windows, a front wall with a single window, vertically disposed rollers supported within the tank, and a curtainmovably supported by said rollers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK DOUGLASS WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

